Legend of the Dragon's Eye

In the early days, Mordia was lit by a constant, gentle glow: a gift from the dragons' combined presence. Life flourished under their watchful gaze and the cradle teemed with beauty. But peace was not eternal. From the shadowered depths of the Inbetween emerged the Maw- an all consuming monstrous beast, twisted by chaos and a ravenous hunger. The Maw sole desire to consume magic, life, and creation itself. It hungered for the vitality of Mordia, threatening to unravel the Cradle and consume it, destroying everything the Dragons had created.

When the Maw reached too close to their Cradle, Marith and Lori fought valiantly to protect it, their love for their cradle and strength in their unity giving them strength. Marith's glorious might roared as a tempest, blazing arcs of golden fury scorching into the Maw's ever roiling form. Lori's azure magic rippled and swirled, attempting to bind the creature in ethereal chains of energy. Their battle raged across the skies, shaking the very fabric of their world, but even their combined strength was not enough to vanquish the Maw; it consumed their attacks, neither growing in strength nor weakening from them. The dragons realized that only be unraveling the chaos from within could they save their beloved creation.

In the moment of shared clarity, Marith and Lori understood what had to be done. Marith turn to Lori, his blazing yellow eyes filled with sorrow and determination.

He spoke, "My love, I will give my eye to the heavens, a beacon to hold back the darkness and guide the life we have created. Protect them well and love them enough for both of us."

Lori protested, unwilling to let Marith make such a sacrifice alone. She reached out to him, her glowing blue gaze steady with resolve and shared sorrow.
Lori replied, "Then I, too, shall give my eye for together we forged this world, and together we shall protect it."

With heavy hearts, each dragon plucked an eye from their mighty forms. Marith’s fiery yellow eye rose into the heavens, becoming the Sun, a blazing beacon to fend off the cold and illuminate the world with its warmth and strength. Lori’s iridescent blue eye ascended to become the Moon, a gentle light to guide the night and offer peace amidst the darkness. These gifts ensured that the Cradle would never be left without protection or light.

Weakened by their gifts, the dragons lured the Maw away from Mordia, their radiant eyes dazzling the beast and drawing it far from the Cradle. With every step, they led it deeper into the Inbetween, far beyond the reach of the Spheres or the Veil. When the Maw was safely removed from their creation, Marith and Lori turned to face it one last time.

Summoning the last remnants of their strength, they hurled themselves into the Maw’s ravenous core. As they were consumed, they unleashed the full force of their fiery and arcane life essence. The explosion of their combined power tore the Maw apart from within, scattering its chaotic remains across the Inbetween.

In their final moments, Marith and Lori thought not of their sacrifice but of the cradle they had saved, and of the love that had made it all possible.

Though their forms were lost, Marith and Lori's presence endures. The Sun burns with Marith’s unyielding strength, protecting Mordia and pushing back the void’s cold grasp. The Moon glows with Lori’s arcane wisdom, offering guidance and solace in the darkest hours. Together, their eyes watch over the cradle, ensuring that their creation remains a beacon of life in the vast Inbetween.

The people of Mordia tell this story as a lesson in love, unity, and sacrifice. They believe the dragons’ spirits continue to spiral around the Cradle, invisible but eternal, their fiery and arcane essence woven into the very fabric of existence. Each dawn and dusk marks their reunion—Marith’s eye rising to blaze with protective light, and Lori’s eye following to soothe into night.

It is said that if ever chaos threatens the Cradle again, the dragons’ spirits will rise from the Sun and Moon to defend their creation once more. Until that day, their sacrifice illuminates the skies, a reminder of the love that forged a world and the eyes that will forever watch over it.

Summary

• Protagonists: Marith and Lori, the Great Dragons
• Antagonists: The Maw
• Setting: Mordia, the Roaring Cradle, and the Inbetween
• Conflict: The Maw's threat to consume the Cradle
• Resolution: The dragon's sacrifice to end the Maw and the gift of Sun and Moon
• Symbols:
• Sun: Marith's strength and protection
• Moon: Lori's wisdom and guidance

The sun and moon are ever-present, providing light and hope to all Mordians.

Historical Basis

This myth is not rooted in a real event. The Great Dragons did not sacrifice themselves and give an eye each to the sky. The sun and moon in present time IS the eye of each dragon. Though it is still debated if this is true or not, so while some believe the Harbinger of Hope entirely, others are skeptical.

Spread

This is a legend all Elves know, regardless of coven. It is a common bedtime story and a beloved tale to tell in gatherings.

In Art

There are many depictions of this legend in the Elven community, and even popping up in the rest of Commonkind as the belief of the Great Dragons has spread across Verithia. A famous depiction is a large tapestry hung in the main temple of Verdanthearth coven, visualizing the eyes on either side of the world and watching them dutifully, their magics surrounding the world in a cocoon of sorts.

Another famous depiction is an elven lullaby, a song format of the long-winded legend. Soft and melodic witha gentle rhythmic cadence meant to soothe a child to sleep:
Hush now, little one, close your eyes,
Beneath the glow of the Dragon’s skies.
Marith’s flame, so warm, so bright,
Keeps the cold away til the day’s light.

Lori’s glow, a soothing blue,
Guards the dark and watches you.
Two kind hearts, one love so deep,
They gave their all so we might sleep.

They battled a beast from the endless expanse,
To keep us safe, their final dance.
An eye for the sun, an eye for the moon,
They lit the skies with an eternal bloom.

Now their light keeps the shadows at bay,
Guiding us always, night and day.
Hush now, child, rest your head,
The dragons’ eyes watch where you tread.

Marith’s fire, Lori’s glow,
Guide us always, high or low.
Forever here, their spirits soar,
Protecting us forevermore.